The others, 17 in number, came in to either lodge complaint or attend hearings by the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) services. The matters for ADR include debt, family issue, maintenance, threat, land issue and marital problem.

Baindu of Kpatima, Shellmingo was among those scheduled for hearing. Baindu and her husband Mr. Foday are locked in a dispute over a property. Baindu claims to be the lawful owner of the property.  Kekura Saffa of Kambama villege, Jawei Chiefdom, Kailahun District was brought in for extorting money from the Local Court Chairman Mr. Mambu of the same chiefdom. Hawa had a complaint against her estranged boyfriend who is threatening to post nude pictures of her on the internet.  A maintenance issue against a lecture of the Eastern Polytechnic was also heard.

According to the Board’s Outreach Officer for the Eastern Province, Christopher Caulker the ARD team mediates between seven to ten cases per day. ‘We mediate a lot of cases in Mende because our clients either cannot speak Krio or have difficulty in explaining themselves the language.’ Christopher said. ‘A lot of people access our services and this is not limited to any specific group. We have received a lot of complaints from staff of the Eastern Polytechnic.’

One of the beneficiaries of the service on Monday, December 5, Mr. Henry Tucker of the Automobile Department,  Eastern Polytechnic expressed satisfaction at the quality of service provided by the Board’s ADR Team.

‘I have been treated with respected since I received the first call from the ADR Team,’ Mr. Tucker said.  ‘The caller was very polite and the hearings have been conducted in privacy which is very important.  The matter with my wife has been heard by the Catholic Church and the Family Support Unit of the Sierra Leone Police in the past but not much was achieved. I am happy the intervention of the LAB is beginning to make a difference in our family.’